Crimson
by Hazukashigariyasan
Summary: Even during her last few moments of being alive, Himiko still wonders why the color crimson frightens her so much. A bit of Rao/Himiko if you squint. Rated T for blood. Spoiler Warning!


"Down beneath the waves, in a world where no mortal man has dared to-"

"Papa, who rules the Dragon...er...Dragonian people again?"

The emperor sighed while he rubbed his forehead. _Ah, young children...they can never seem to pay attention_, he thought tiredly as a small Himiko began to tap his shoulder repeatedly. Her large, brown eyes sparkled with curiosity; something special that only children have. _If only she could be released from all of the responsibility that comes with being the future queen..._

"Papa! You never answered my question," she whined again. "I wonder if the king is nice... maybe he'll give me something to play with too, just like everyone else! Oh, I wonder if the queen-"

"Himiko," the larger man interrupted. The young girl stopped immediately, eyes widened at her father's sudden tone. "You must pay attention if you ever want to learn more about the other royal families. This kind of information could come in handy when you're queen, you know."

Already distracted, the little princess tugged on his robe. "I know...but I don't want to be queen!"

"Why ever not?" he asked, already knowing where this conversation was going. This topic was brought up almost every single day...

"All of the other kids get to play while I'm stuck with all of the boring lessons! Whenever I try and go out to play too, the guards stop me! They say that they have to protect me...but really, I think they're all being big meanies!" the younger girl exclaimed, using wild hand movements to prove her point.

The emperor simply shook his head. "Himiko, I'm afraid that you don't have a choice. There's no one else to succeed our throne."

"Well, it's not my fault that mama didn't want to make another baby with you!"

"Wha-" flustered, the man's face became as red as a tomato. "Y-you know that we're too busy to call the stork and-"

Giggling, the girl hopped off of her father's lap and twirled around to face him. "I already know that the stork isn't real! I'm not dumb! Besides, what really happens is-"

"A-Ah! First of all, you're too young to know about any of these things. Second of all, being the queen isn't all that bad. You're the one that everyone goes to when they're in trouble. You represent our people, which means Nippon as a whole." The emperor said, smoothing out the wrinkles on his robe. A long period of silence was cast across the entire palace, the only thing audible being their very own breathing.

"It is your duty," the emperor began, "as the queen to help our people in need. A good ruler needs passion, strength..."

"Honor and dignity too!" Himiko burst out. Her cheeks were tinted red at the thought of herself being a powerful queen. "Or...are those the same thing?"

Chuckling, the emperor rose up from his throne and bent down to look at his daughter. "It doesn't really matter. Besides, I know that by the time you're done with your lessons, you'll be a great ruler." He said with a smile. "After all...you are my daughter."

Himiko grinned, hugging her father tightly. "I'm sure I will be, papa! But..."

"But what?" the emperor asked, confused at the girl's sudden change in mood.

The princess fidgeted as she concentrated on the deep red carpet beneath them. _It looks a lot like blood, _she thought as an image of a corpse suddenly crossed her mind. _No! I shouldn't be thinking about these things!_

"Just like you said: you never answered my question," the emperor said. "There's something worrying you. You know you can tell me."

The young girl gazed into her father's eyes intently. "Well...I've been wondering...w-why do the guards have to work so hard to protect me?"

Confused, the man tilted his head. A soft jingle echoed throughout the room as the ornaments on his head were forced to lean onto one side. "I don't understand your question, Himiko."

"What I really mean is," she said with a deep breath, "I just wanted to know...if there was someone out to get me. I-I mean...I don't want to...you know. Die," she whispered as if it was a forbidden word. The usual cheerful glint in her eyes was replaced with both worry and anxiety.

"...Eh?"

"Papa!"

"O-Oh! I understand now," he stuttered. Of all the things in the entire world, the future queen- no the future hope of Nippon was worried about _dying_? It seemed illogical for a person like her to be worried about such a far-out topic, but the emperor couldn't help but feel that something might go wrong. _With great responsibility_, he thought, _comes many obstacles._ But she was just a child...

Completely ignoring the smaller throne located next to her father's, Himiko sat on the blood red carpet. "Will I be safe? What if the guards can't-"

"Of course they can! Don't even dare ask such a ridiculous question," he boomed. She let out a small whimper and tears threatened to spill out. _Oh, I've done it now._

Sighing, he stood up and lifted Himiko into his arms. "I'm sorry...I didn't mean to yell at you," he apologized as the girl buried her face into the crook of his neck. "It's just..." He lost his train of thought when he heard the soft hiccuping of the younger girl. Feeling guilty, he quickly searched the room for a topic to talk about.

"Himiko, look above us," he said, pointing towards the ceiling. Confused, the girl raised her head and was shocked at what she saw.

Above the two was a giant crystal ball, shining in all of it's glory. It floated in midair as if it was as light as the air itself, although ironically, it looked to weigh about a ton. Their reflection was cast on it's smooth surface, manipulating their faces into an odd shape. Himiko would of usually laughed at their silly faces, but she didn't want to drop her whole 'serious' act..

"That, Himiko," the emperor said, "is the answer to all of our problems. That large orb you see is an extremely important family heirloom. It has been passed down each generation-"

"What? That big sphere thingy?" she asked, her voice full of disbelief. _I suppose it is kinda useful_, she thought. She began to imagine herself using the orb to squish her foes into oblivion...

"That 'thingy' has more power than you can ever imagine," the emperor deadpanned. "This orb surrounds us with a magical barrier that few to none can break. With this in our hands, no evil will even dare set their eyes upon us," he said, admiring the beautiful object above. "If the guards fail to do their job, it won't matter as long as we have this in our possession."

Forming a small 'o' with her mouth, Himiko nodded. Her energy seemed to flow through her veins yet again as she smiled and threw her arms around her father. "Well, that makes me feel better! Thank you, papa!"

Smiling, he nodded. "You're very welcome, Himiko."

"Anyway," Himiko said. "...you never did tell me who was the ruler of the Dragonians!"

The look on the emperor's face almost made the young girl burst into laughter, but she tried her best to contain her amusement. _I promise_, she thought, _that I'll be the best queen that Nippon has ever seen!_

Surely, it shouldn't be too difficult to help out everyone and whatever her father said about representing...something. If only the young princess knew what her future had for her in store...but all she could really do is laugh and learn as much as she still could.

* * *

><p>Minutes, hours, days, years... Himiko couldn't tell the difference anymore.<p>

Seated on a silk pillow, the queen of Nippon sat in silence, praying with all of her might. Her brows were pursed in concentration as a continuous prayer slipped between the woman's lips. No other sound than her soft voice was heard in the throne room, and quite frankly, she didn't really mind.

"Oh, please, let the great gods above help our land," she repeated over and over again. Occasionally, she would get up and stretch. But other than that, she spent her days locked in her own palace, praying for the safety of the people.

_Oh, father...if only you were here to help me in this time of need, _she pleaded silently. Unfortunately, most of her family died out one by one, leaving her as the sole member of the imperial family.

_Well, there is that other man in the other side of town_, she thought, but she shook her head. _No, focus on praying! Besides, Amaterasu should be arriving soon..._

Her heart beat quickened as she sensed the presence of someone other than herself. The feeling became stronger as time passed by, but Himiko remained calm and continued her daily routine. _Ah, they're __close by..._

"Hey, you! Yeah, you with the big ball thing!" someone from behind her exclaimed, breaking the peaceful silence of the throne room. "You must be the queen. Geez, look at that coward, Ammy! She won't even look at us in the face!"

_Ammy? _She pondered. _Ah, Amaterasu must be here._

"...I have been waiting for your arrival," she said. Her voice remained soft, but her tone radiated with authority. "I apologize if your surroundings do not satisfy you, but the furniture can wait."

Fuming, Issun unsheathed Denkomaru and began to wave it around in the air. "Why don't you do us a favor and lift up that cruddy curtain? I don't like dealing with cowards, no matter how hideous they are!"

_How rude._ "Very well then," she replied, and the curtains began to reel back. Slowly, the woman stood up and turned around to face her visitors.

"As I was saying before, welcome to my humble home, Amaterasu," she said, completely ignoring the small green mass falling in shock onto the floor. "I have something of great importance-"

"Heeey! We'll get whatever needs to be done...well...done! Don't you worry, babe! Oh, right...what is it?" Issun said suddenly as he came back to the world of the living.

Coughing slightly, Himiko re-adjusted her headpiece. "Surely you have heard of the insane water dragon that has been terrorizing our home, correct?"

The goddess let out a bark in response. "Yeah, what she said!" Issun exclaimed.

"Good. Then I will be able to explain why I was praying that you would arrive here, Amaterasu," she said. "With that dragon comes the opportunity to break into the dreaded Oni Island."

"Oni Island?" Issun asked. "Isn't it that creepy looking mass of whatever floating nearby the coast?"

Himiko nodded slowly. "Oni Island is a very strange place indeed. You see, every time the sun sets, the whole island itself moves to a different location. This makes locating it extremely difficult."

Confused, Issun leaned on Amaterasu's ear. "So...how do you plan to break this barrier if you can't even _find_ it?"

Himiko smiled, turning around to look at the large glowing orb above her. "You see this?"

Both Issun and Amaterasu nodded. "It's a giant crystal ball. Your point?"

"This is no ordinary crystal ball. Not only does it protect me from evil," she began, "but I can also perceive the future with its powers."

"So that means...?"

Sighing, the queen pointed her finger at the orb. "With its divine powers, I can try to predict Oni Island's next location..."

Both Issun and his lupine companion were extremely interested now. "So where would that be, babe?"

She turned around to face the two. Frowning, she said, "I do not know at the moment. However, I can feel that it will be extremely near..."

"Then what are we waiting for? We'll help you find it!" Issun exclaimed. Amaterasu growled and attempted to shake him off of her head. "Whoa, calm down, furball...geez."

"You forgot my earlier statement. Only the water dragon can break the barrier that surrounds the island," she explained. "Unfortunately, the creature seems to be a bit...uncontrollable at the moment."

Raising his eyebrows, Issun crossed his arms. "And this has something to do with us because...?"

Nervousness made its way into her stomach. "I hope this isn't too much to ask, Amaterasu, but..." Her mind panicked and frantically searched for a way to break it to them.

"But...?"

Her soft brown eyes stared intensely at the goddess. "Would you please visit the land of the Dragonians for me? The people there know how to control the water dragon, so maybe..."

"They could calm that freak down! Perfect!" Issun said, raising his fist in the air. "Don't worry, babe! We'll get that water dragon bowing to your knees in no time!" His companion barked in reply.

"Let's go, Ammy! We got a dragon to tame!" The wolf's soft footsteps echoed through the now silent room, comforting the lonely queen.

"Now that it's settled," she said, "I suppose I should go back to finding Oni Island..."

The queen went back to her seat and lost herself in the land of silence once again. Now motivated more than ever, the woman searched the seas intently as she gazed into the endless emptiness of the crystal orb.

_I'm afraid that the end is almost making its appearance,_ she thought sadly. _But I will not let this stop me!_

_The crimson carpet below never lost its color, even though people stepped on it for years. Do you think that it's possible for it to become brighter instead of dulling with age?_

* * *

><p>A loud crash interrupted the queen as she was, as usual, staring at the over-sized marble. Annoyed, she turned around, wanting to scold the rude visitor.<p>

"Oh, it is just you, Rao," she said, sighing. She forgot all about her past irritation and decided to let the priestess go. "What is it?"

The other woman's face was shrouded in the shadows, hiding her face. Rao stayed silent, her gaze not meeting the queen's undeterred eyes.

"Rao? Is there something wrong?"

_At last, the time has come..._

"Oh, nothing. Nothing at all, your _majesty_," Rao snickered. She emphasized 'majesty' in a tone that would make Himiko shiver with disgust. However, her body remained as still as the stone statues that watched the scene unfold._  
><em>

Not even batting an eyelash, Himiko remained unnaturally calm, considering the fact that she knew exactly what was going to happen. Her gaze remained unfazed as Rao began to lose her grip on reality.

"_Isn't it bad to spy on people," Himiko asked, tugging on her father's sleeve. The emperor paused for a moment, trying to come up with a good response._

_"It isn't the best thing to do," he began carefully, "however... a good ruler must always have their eyes on their people, yes?"_

_Fumbling with a small strand of her hair, she nodded slowly. "I guess..."_

_"I mean, how would you feel if they were doing something very bad... something that could threaten your very life?"_

_The young girl's eyes widened, horrified at the thought of someone wanting to hurt her. Questions began to race through her head, making the room seem to tilt slightly. However, she ignored this and smiled._

_"Then I'll make sure that I'll know everything!"  
><em>

"Silly, naïve little Himiko," Rao taunted, twirling an object in her hands. "Such a weak girl, yet you still believed that you could find and penetrate my fortress with that pathetic excuse for a dragon?"

Glaring, Himiko stepped forward. "Do not underestimate King Wada's power-"

"King who? Oh, you mean the one at the bottom of the ocean, right?" Rao said. She lifted her face to take a good look at the irritated queen.

The sight was terrible. Her left eye, now a glaring red, shone with an evil glint that very few people could pull off. Her entire aura darkened the atmosphere of the room, filling it with a complete, awkward silence. That is, only until one of them chose to speak.

Himiko pretended to widen her eyes with horror. "H-He can't be...He's...dead?"

The priestess nodded, smirking at the other woman's reaction. "Looks like your plans will have to be canceled," Rao said. A few painstaking seconds later, she began to walk slowly towards the queen. The small pattering of the creature's feet echoed throughout the entire throne room.

"_As the queen, it's your duty to do all you can to help the people," the emperor said. He sighed as his 'pupil' was occupied with a wooden doll._

"_Mmhmm...help the people. Got it," Himiko replied._

"_Himiko...are you even paying attention?" _

_The princess merely hummed in reply. She listened to the soft chirping of the birds as the slight breeze_ _ran through her hair. If she stayed quiet enough, then she could hear the rustle of leaves-_

"_You're spacing out again," her father said. "It's extremely important for you to-"_

"_I'm listening, I'm listening!" _

_Oh, I hope it's not this bad when she's older, he thought. "Alright, so going back to the original topic. You should do whatever you can to help the people. Even if it means risking your own life. Of course, that's only in the worst case scenario..."_

_It is my duty as the queen..._

"My, what a pretty looking orb," Rao- no, the creature said. "It would be a shame to see it break..."

Himiko stared at her blankly. _I'm not going to waste my energy on her._

With each step Rao took, the atmosphere grew even more tense than it was before. Himiko could feel the barrier around her weakening, threatening to shatter.

"_With this in our hands, no evil will even dare set their eyes upon us."_

Yeah right.

Her smirk grew wider as she drew even closer to the queen. "I'll have you know that I'll never..."

_Bending..._

"ever..."

_Oh, is that a crack...?_

"let such a..."

_Almost..._

"weakling like you..."

_Calling me weak won't make you stronger, _Himiko thought as the barrier around her shattered like glass. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"defile my fortress!"

Laughing like a madman, Rao raised the object in her hand at Himiko.

_Ah, the Fox Rods. No wonder why my barrier broke._

"Shame that such a pretty little face won't be able to say goodbye to her two little friends," Rao said, her eyes twitching. "But the thing is, I don't have that much time in my hands."

Suddenly, Rao screamed. A terrible, high-pitched squeal that pierced its way through the empty halls. Unfortunately for Himiko, that was her last memory until something hard violently crunched her skull. At that moment, everything went black.

The now lifeless queen of Nippon collapsed onto the crimson carpet like a rag doll. Her blood seeped through the carpet, making its color look even more brilliant than usual.

"_...Why did you choose such a scary color, papa?"_

_The emperor looked up to face his daughter. He nearly laughed at the fearful expression on her face, her shaking body not daring to set foot on the carpet._

"_I thought it was a pretty color, Himiko. Why does it scare you so?"_

"_It...reminds me of blood."_

"How pathetic...and I thought she would be more fun," Rao- no Ninetails said with a sigh. "What a weak queen. I still don't understand why everyone thought that she would be able to help..."

Her thoughts were interrupted as she heard someone running towards the door. Faint yelling could be heard, along with a growl.

"Hm, better get into my position. The audience won't like it if the star of the show was late for their performance," Rao said, making her way towards a nearby pillar. Once she got there, she began to shake as if she was struck with horror.

"_Let the show begin."_

Little did she know that a certain pale-looking queen was staring at her intently inside of the glass orb. Her gaze shifted towards her lifeless body sprawled out helplessly on the floor.

"I was right...crimson is a rather frightening color."

_As the queen, it is my duty to protect and help my people at all times. Father... did I do it the way that I was supposed to? My job is not complete... no, not yet. But I assure you that I will do all in my power to help the great Amaterasu succeed in her mission.  
><em>

**Fin.**_  
><em>

* * *

><p>I. DON'T. KNOW. I usually don't write things like this, but it was raining outside, and... =_=;<p>

Anyway, I guess I'll just consider this as some sort of exercise. But boy, did I have fun writing this.

Yeah...in the second part, it's basically the entire cutscene squished up and stuff. That makes this story extremely short, but I had to somehow say that Ammy & Issun weren't there to protect Himiko.

Don't forget to leave a review! Criticism is appreciated while flaming is not!


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